Preview
BLUES UNDERDOG
Saturday, April 24
Whiskey
I like programmed beats as much as the next Dr. Dre wannabe. But when you talk about taking the show on the road and getting the crowd pumped, you simply can’t match the energy of a live band. Considering that there are relatively few hip-hop acts that arrive in Calgary, and fewer still carrying more than a pair of turntables, it’s refreshing to hear that Black Eyed Peas and the opening act, Blues Underdog, both come with real instrument-toting musicians.
Hailing from Pickering, Ontario, Blues Underdog is a seven-piece hip-hop and funk outfit that’s quickly gathering hype, after winning their local Bandwarz competition and playing the shows that matter (Canadian Music Week and North By Northeast). They’ve also opened up for Naughty By Nature, rocked out with the godfather of Canadian hip-hop, Maestro and their MC, Najja, even jammed with Busta Rhymes after one of Busta’s concerts.
But the band sees their opening slot for Black Eyed Peas as the pinnacle of their short careers thus far.
"We’re extremely excited to be opening up for the Grammy-nominated Black Eyed Peas," says Blues Underdog bassist, Ledge. "When we tell people that we’re opening up for them, we’re taken more seriously (by record industry people)."
The fact that Blues Underdog have seven members inherently leads to greater dynamics within the band, meaning that while the collective input brings greater energy and creativity to the table, there are more egos to deal with.
"We have a hard time juggling the personalities," admits Ledge with laughter. "Everyone’s got different personalities, different nationalities and different ages.
"We’ve been in a few fights before, but whenever we get into arguments before we play live, we rip it up onstage."
Apart from live instrumentation, the one other common trait that both Black Eyed Peas and Blues Underdog share is their dancing skills. While Black Eyed Peas are legendary for combining great music with great B-boy moves, Ledge is confident that Blues Underdog will be able to keep up kinetic-wise.
"We have a little bit of choreography when we’re playing that we do onstage," Ledge says. "If there’s one thing that we’re known for it is that we always tear it up live." |
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